De-Googled Phones: Inconvenient and Impractical?

Because of perceived inconveniences, many believe that having a de-Googled phone is impractical and will completely shun the idea. Others choose to avoid de-Googled phones because they need a few apps that otherwise will not work. But we will discuss why these kinds of thought processes are not a result of critical thinking.

There are other possibilities and other solutions to make sure a De-Googled phone will work for you.

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I'm the Internet Privacy Guy. I'm a public interest technologist. I'm here to educate. You are losing your Internet privacy and Internet security every day if you don't fight for it. Your data is collected with endless permanent data mining. Learn about a TOR router, a VPN , antivirus, spyware, firewalls, IP address, wifi triangulation, data privacy regulation, backups and tech tools, and evading mass surveillance from NSA, CIA, FBI. Learn how to be anonymous on the Internet so you are not profiled. Learn to speak freely with pseudo anonymity. Learn more about the dangers of the inernet and the dangers of social media, dangers of email.

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[oswaldjh]

Just a reminder.
The couple that took pictures of their toddlers rash to email to their Doctor and the phone reported them to the Apple mothership.
It took a year for this family to get their life back because of the Police Investigation of the parents for child porn.
They had nothing to hide, same as you.

[sforever]

Would love to de goggle my new phone but to use goverment websites needs google chrome

[mikehawk]

The main problems I had with privacy roms is the lack of android auto and navigation. Having said that. It does not matter if your phone is degoogled. If big brother wants to know where you are then they will find out.

[quando]

I have always wanted to have an full google android phone living on a VPS somewhere that I can remote into and use apps that don't work on a google phone

[jjflash]

Been using a Pixel 4 running Calyx OS for the past 3 years. With MicroG, Aurora Store and F-Droid, I run all the Apps I need without missing a step and all the privacy I desire. It's easier than you think. Will never go back to stock Android or iOS. Make the switch, take your privacy back.

[freddieh]

I opted for the 2 phone system. De-googled phone has minimal apps, and goes everywhere with me. Backup phone is android and has all the usual garbage apps, but stays at home most of the time. System seems to work well so far.

[dannyd]

You're a good man. Don't let the comment section get to you. You are doing good work.

[Mantikal]

In essence (we've all been played) - "Our phone" isn't really "our phone" - no matter how much money we paid for it. As a matter of fact, the more you paid for your phone, the greater the scale of how much you've played!!! = Shiny object for the dumb monkey scenario. There's no difference between that and you having a credit card with one million dollars in credit - and you deluding youself into thinking that just one penny of it - is "your money."

[johng.]

Rob - Great video! I have a De-Googled phone and it's great. What would be an interesting video would be finding FOSS software that replaces some of the commonly used software that most people use. (Like Organic Maps vs. Google Maps). Perhaps you could do a video that compiles some of these so that people "know" they have an alternative. I try to use F-Droid apps as much as possible. I think many people are willing to make that "jump" towards privacy but just don't have a clue as to "how"....👍

[westhigh]

Hi Rob...great information...let me take it a step further...concerning the Uber Lyft problem...why not just call a Taxi...Uber and Lyft have gotten so expensive anyway...Taxi's are all over the airports and you can call one to pick you up and take you anywhere...I use a Sunbeam Orchid phone as my no trace phone and that's what I use about 80% of the time (no internet but it does do talk, text with group, directions with map and voice, camera, weather updates ect ect)...the rare occasions when I need a smart phone I use an older Android phone...it's not perfect but it's worth the slight inconvenience. Besides, people need to detox from their smart phones anyway and the Sunbeam Orchid is perfect for that

[Menjari]

I used to work at a pawn shop. Amazon would always recommend the products related to what the customers were bringing in or buying, as we would talk about it. So 100% they do listen.

[ginogomez]

Thank you Rob for opening our eyes! As technology advances, I definitely leaning towards this De-googled phone or no phone at all. It definitely is an inconvenience, but we were just fine in the 80's!

[lyfandeth]

BTW, on the Verizon "for emergency responders" phone selection phone, they did have one new phone that has a removeable battery. It is NOT listed as available on their consumer pages.

[tonyg]

OK Rob, your analysis sounds spot-on, as usual. However, I would like to hear you address the phone company side of this equation. Others below have hit on this point, but I would like to see what the Braxman has to say about the cell carrier's piece of this puzzle. I'm a Verizon customer, and I expect to see a Verizon employee with a spotting scope behind every tree. Just waiting for me to come within visual range. Anyway, Brax, what say you? And thank you for giving the tech world a kick in the privacy groin.

[westhigh]

People have been brainwashed to think if they need a ride they gotta use Uber or Lyft or if they want to watch TV they gotta have cable or any other pay service....if you want a ride take a taxi (no app required), if you want to watch TV plug in a set of rabbit ears to your set (free TV)...

[gcz]

I use e de-Google phone for more than a year. I still can do everything.

[erik]

Thanks for the great content, and making people aware they are just little fish in a swarm observed by the sharks out there. Current mobile phone technology allows to take your ideas a step further. Imagine a phone with around 12GB memory and 512GB storage combined with a beefy battery of 8000mAh. It would be able to boot a distro of Linux supporting this phone, install QEMU and creation of several virtual Android phones which can be stock Android images with the google blob included or de-googled Android images. Not only can the user decide the level of privacy on one device, the control QEMU provides on device access could even be used to monitor and possible limit the information leakage from the googled Android images that are activated. It just would take a friendly Hardware manufacturer to produce a powerful enough platform to enable this technology, publish its specs so people can port Linux to it. Combined with file system encryption Linux provides, it would be impossible to access information on the phone without cooperation of the user.

[MJ-gejz]

I use a de-googled phone for SMS authentication and other more sensitive banking stuff. Why? The amount of hack attempts is out of control on my google based phone, and I don't need inadvertent hacks causing a ripple effect with other important websites.

[pigletshut]

Truck driver here. The tracking is part of the government's Electronic Logging Device mandate, so carriers HAVE to have that tracking. For this reason and not knowing what devices drivers carry, they install their own. Some are degoogled from the factory, or run Windows actually (*wink* Omnitracs IVG), so some of us don't worry about that.

[oceanaxim]

Thank you for this detailed video for individuals like me who are on the the fence on this matter. Yes, apps like Uber and Lyft are very handy and convenient, lately I have been finding it is considerably cheaper to use and support an independent taxicab company. With Waze, that would be more difficult for me to go without personally, but knowing you use those apps only at your discretion on a second phone gives you reasonable options.